Container for blood

ABSTRACT

A container for blood is provided in which blood received from a patient can be stored and processed without the necessity of being transferred to another container. For example, the blood can be centrifuged, frozen or transfused without the necessity of being transferred to another container. The container comprises a closed annular flexible container of a flexible material which is inert to blood and which is provided with at least one opening for the passage of blood into and out of the annular container. The flexible material may be enclosed in an inflexible material.

United States Patent Unger et al. [4 1 Jan. 2, 1973 541 4 CONTAINER FORBLOOD 3,096,283 7/1963 Hein ..233 20 [75] Inventors: Hans Peter OlafUnger, Stockholm; i "5 3 R ru an ..l A X Eric wmbel'gi 3,239,l36 3/1966Hem ..233

2 8 Bemdmn, 3,032,037 5/1962 Huber ..l28/276 Stockholm; Stephan LarsSchwartz, Lidingo, all of Sweden Assignee: AGA Aktiebolag, Lidingo,Sweden Filedz' Aug. 6, 1970 Appl' No.: 61,574

Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. ll, l969 Sweden ..l l 122/69 US.Cl ..233/26, 128/214 D, 128/272 Int. Cl. ..B04b 09/12 Field of Search..l28/2l4 D, 214.2, 272, 276; 233/1 E, 20, 26, 27; l/2.l-2.4-

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1960 Chandler ..l28/276 PrimaryExaminer-Dalton L. Truluck Attorney-Larson, Taylor and Hinds [5 7]ABSTRACT A container for blood is provided in which blood received froma patient can be stored and processed without the necessity of beingtransferred to another container. For example, the blood can becentrifuged, frozen or transfused without the necessity of beingtransferred to another container. The container comprises a closedannular flexible container of a flexible material which is inert toblood and which is provided with at least one opening for the passage ofblood into and out of the annular container. The flexible material maybe enclosed in an inflexible material.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures P'A TENTEDJM 2W5 3.708.110

SHEET 1 0F 2 IIIII/III INVENTORS HANS F? O. UNGER JOHAN E. H. WESTBERGGUNNAR I. :BERNDTSSON STEPHAN L. SCHWARTZ ATTORNEYS PATENTED'JAN 2W33.708 110 saw 2 OF 2 CONTAINER FOR BLOOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONsterility should be maintained during the various processes which theblood has to undergo. It is desirable therefore that the same containershould be used for different processes so as to avoid transfer of theblood.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container which issuitable for all processes which are put into practice in todaysblood-giving activities without the necessity of transferring the bloodfrom one container to another. It is a further object of the inventionto provide a method of storing blood which avoids the necessity oftransferring blood from one container to another for processing theblood such as by freezing, centrifuging, and the like.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing and other objects whichwill be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art are achievedaccording to the present invention by providing a container for bloodwhich avoids the necessity of transferring the blood from one containerto another for centrifuging, freezing, transfusion, and the like whichcomprises a closed annular container of a flexible material which isinert to blood and which is providedwith at least one opening for thepassage of blood into and out of said container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION There follows a detailed description of a preferredembodiment of the invention, together with accom panying drawings.However, it is to be understood that the detailed description andaccompanying drawings are provided solely for the purpose ofillustrating a preferred embodiment and that the invention is capable ofnumerous modifications and variations apparent to those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation view, in section, of a containeraccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation view, in section, of an alternativecontainer according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows how the container according to FIG. 1 can be used in bloodtransfusion; and

FIG. 4 is a radial elevation section of a centrifuge according toco-pending application Ser. No. 61,583, filed Aug. 6, 1970 showing theuse of several containers according to the present invention.

. The container shown in FIG. 1 is annular and has broadly speaking theshape of a disc, the disc being formed by an outer wall 1 and an innerwall 2 with an opening 3 in the center. The disc is conical in section.At the inner portion of the annular container, a tube 4 is connectedwhich serves for the feed and discharge of In place of the single tube 4shown, a plurality of such connecting tubes may be arranged, distributedin a suitable manner along the periphery of the inner wall 5 of theannular container.

The walls of the container are inert to blood and may be of laminarconstruction with an inside layer of a material that is harmless toblood, such as Teflon or polyethylene, and an outer layer of strongmaterial with mechanical strength and freezing resistance, for examplenylon.

The annular shape of the container shown in suitable and practical forcentrifuging and for other treatment of the blood. The annular formrepresents a shape which can easily be adapted to a centrifuge, thecentral portion of which can pass through the opening in the center ofthe container. Moreover, owing to its flexibility, the container issuitable for application in transfusion, since it can readily be broughtto the shape shown in FIG. 3 for delivery of the blood contained in it,leaving behind only a negligible residue.

In the modified embodiment according to FIG. 2 there is an innerflexible container 7 and an inflexible outer portion 8 enclosing theflexible container and consisting of a bottom portion 8 with a lid 8"placed therein. The inner portion 7 in its relaxed condition may have ashape as shown in FIG. 2 or the shape which is shown in FIG. 1. In thelatter case the shape shown in FIG. 2 is obtained through deformationwhen the inner portion 7 is placed in the outer portion 8. The latter isof rigid material such as rigid plastic and of a suitable annular shapeso as to enclose the inner portion 7 without forming a space betweeninner and outer portion. If the rigid material has good thermalconductivity, the container according to FIG. 2 is suitable for freezingof blood. The rigid outer portion can be given an appropriate volumecorresponding to the quantity of blood usually occurring intransfusions.

FIG. 3 shows a container in accordance with FIG. 1 or an inner portionof a container according to FIG. 2 in position to be used in bloodtransfusion. Owing to its flexibility, container 9 can be inserted in atransfusion bucket 10, in the bottom of which is a hole I1 through whichthe tube 4 can be conducted for connection to the patient.

The container has particular utility in a centrifuge of the typedescribed in US. application Serial No. 61,583 filed August 6, 1970which is incorporated herein by reference.

Utilization of several containers in a centrifuge is illustrated in FIG.4. The centrifuge comprises a rotating chamber 12 containing acompressible container 13 according to the invention for the liquid tobe centrifuged. The centrifuge also includes means 14 to compress thecontainer against conical member 19 to transfer liquid from thecontainer during centrifugation. The compressing means is also capableof compressing one or more further compressible containers 15, I6, 17according to the invention to transfer liquid therefrom to thefirst-mentioned compressible container 13. The compressing means ispreferably a diaphragm member which is urged by centrifugal forceagainst a compressible container. In one application, container I3 isfilled with blood to be centrifuged and, after the serum is separated byrotation of chamber 12 about the axis of rotor 18 a valve is openedpermitting the diaphragm to compress container 13 to transfer the serumto a further container 15. The valve is then closed and speed reduceduntil the diaphragm returns to its rest position causing compression ofa still further container 17 provided with wash water. A valve is thenopened to permit transfer of some or all of the wash water into thefirst-mentioned container 13 and the device may then be braked to causethe water to mix with the blood cells therein. The washed blood cellsare then centrifuged and the water transferred to the water container 17or yet a still further container 16 by the actuation of an appropriatevalve similarly as in the case of transferring the serum. The washingoperation is repeated if desired until all of the wash water has beenutilized.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a centrifuge having a rotor and, disposed about saidrotor in said centrifuge, an annular container for holding blood duringrotation of said centrifuge, said annular container being made of aflexible material and comprising a hollow annular chamber formed by twoannular side walls spaced apart a short,

distance and by two transverse end walls extending between and joiningthe edges of said annular sides thus forming said chamber, the centralarea of said container within the annular chamber being open such thatthe annular container is disposable about said rotor, and said annularcontainer including a tube attached to the end wall of said containeradjacent the open central area of the container for conveying blood intoand out of said annular container.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said container includesan outer portion of non-flexible material totally enclosing saidflexible annular container.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said outer wall isformed by the outer edges of said annular sides being bent towards oneanother and joined to each other.

4. An annular container for holding blood during centrifuging, saidcontainer being made of flexible material and comprising a hollowannular chamber formed by two annular side walls spaced apart a shortdistance and by two transverse end walls extending between and joiningthe edges of said annular sides thus forming said chamber, the centralarea of said container within the annular chamber being open such thatthe annular container is disposable about a centrifuge rotor, saidannular container including a tube attached to the end wall of saidcontainer adjacent the open central area of the container for conveyingblood into and out of said annular container, said chamber being conicalsuch that the container is adapted to bear against a conical member in acentrifuge during centrifuging.

1. In combination, a centrifuge having a rotor and, disposed about saidrotor in said centrifuge, an annular container for holding blood duringrotation of said centrifuge, said annular container being made of aflexible material and comprising a hollow annular chamber formed by twoannular side walls spaced apart a short distance and by two transverseend walls extending between and joining the edges of said annular sidesthus forming said chamber, the central area of said container within theannular chamber being open such that the annular container is disposableabout said rotor, and said annular container including a tube attachedto the end wall of said container adjacent the open central area of thecontainer for conveying blood into and out of said annular container. 2.The combination according to claim 1 wherein said container includes anouter portion of non-flexible material totally enclosing said flexibleannular container.
 3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein saidouter wall is formed by the outer edges of said annular sides being benttowards one another and joined to each other.
 4. An annular containerfor holding blood during centrifuging, said container being made offlexible material and comprising a hollow annular chamber formed by twoannular side walls spaced apart a short distance and by two transverseend walls extending between and joining the edges of said annular sidesthus forming said chamber, the central area of said container within theannular chamber being open such that the annular container is disposableabout a centrifuge rotor, said annular container including a tubeattached to the end wall of said container adjacent the open centralarea of the container for conveying blood into and out of said annularcontainer, said chamber being conical such that the container is adaptedto bear against a conical member in a centrifuge during centrifuging.